Obituary of George Schimmel

George William Schimmel, 76, of State College, died Wednesday, June 29, 2011 at the Fairways at Brookline. Born May 13, 1935 in Nanticoke, he was the son of the late William F. and Irene Weaver Schimmel, of Nanticoke. He was married in 1961 to Nancy Elston, of Dallas who survives along with his son, Eric, of State College; a daughter, Heather Wild and her husband Andrew, of Lemont; 5 grandchildren, Chad and Danica Schimmel, of State College, Nicholas Gustine, Mallory and Natalie Wild, of Lemont; and a sister, Irene Barna, of Middlebury, VT. He was a 1953 graduate of E.L. Meyers High School in Wilkes Barre and then a graduate of Penn State University in 1957 with a BS in Civil Engineering. After graduating from Penn State, he was employed by Armco Drainage and Metal Products, Inc of Middletown, Ohio. In 1958 he enlisted in the US Army Infantry where he served in the Critical Skill Program. After the military, he returned to the family business, William F. Schimmel and Company and Gateway Lumber & Supply Company in Mountaintop and Nanticoke, where he remained until 1967 when he and his wife, Nancy, served as missionaries at the Lutheran Training Institute, Salayea, Liberia, West Africa. In 1969 after his return from Liberia, he began his employment at Penn State in the Commonwealth Campus System, retiring in 1996 from Penn State's office of Physical Plant as Director of Maintenance & Operations. He was a member of Grace Lutheran Church, State College, where he served on the property committee, church council, and was a lay reader. He enjoyed flying and earned his private pilot's license in 1958 and his instrument rating and commercial license in 1975. He was a member of the Airplane Owners & Pilots Association. George was an avid toy train collector and restorer, and a member of the Train Collectors Association. He was a life member of the Penn State Alumni Association, Chi Epsilon, Tau Beta Pi and the Commerative Air Force, the Antique Auto Club of America and the William Swigart Auto Museum. A long time resident of Patton Twp, he served on the township's Zoning Hearing Board and on the Board of the Toftrees Homeowners Association. Visitation will be 6-8 P.M., Tuesday, July 5, 2011 at Koch Funeral Home, 2401 S. Atherton St., State College. Funeral service will be 11:00 A.M., Wednesday, July 6, 2011 at the Grace Lutheran Church with Pastor P. Stevens Lynn officiating. Burial will be in Centre County Memorial Park. Memorial contributions may be made to the Grace Lutheran Church Building Fund at 205 South Garner St, State College, PA 16801. Arrangements are under the care of Koch Funeral Home, State College. Online condolences may be made at www.kochfuneralhome.com.